Never Gone
by RK13
Summary: "The memorial was nothing but a blur to Mimi. She just couldn't seem to focus on what was being said. Her eyes were glued to the white casket in the front of the church"   all reviews appreciated
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or its characters. I do however own the plot.

Chapter 1

"Never gone, never far

In my heart is where you are"

She was sitting on her bed hunched over her drawing vigorously engrossed into making sure it was perfect. She never gets it right, this was her fifth attempt. No matter how hard she tries she can never get the gleam of happiness her mother's eyes always possessed. Even when she was sick from chemotherapy, it was always there, slightly dulled but there nevertheless. She sighs and crumples the drawing up throwing it in the waste bin by her door. Before she attempts to start over again she hears a faint knocking on her door, pausing her ipod she calls, "Who is it?" Stupid question, she thinks hoping for the millionth time that her mother would be the one to answer her even though she knows that she is gone and never coming back.

"It's me honey, are you ready to go?" her father, Keisuke responds glad that she is finally talking to him.

"No." Today is the day she's supposed to say her final goodbye to her mother. She really doesn't want to go, she isn't sure she can handle it. But at the same time she loved her mom and she needs to be there to see her mother finally at peace, no she loves her mom she corrects herself mentally. Just because Satoe died doesn't mean Mimi will ever stop loving her.

"Mimi it's time. If we don't go now we're gonna be late." Sighing she slides off her bed and lands on her feet with a light thump. She smoothed out the wrinkles from her dress and slipped on her black flats. Before her father could call again, she opened the door and walked silently past him keeping her eyes on the floor, she couldn't bear to look at him. People always told her she looked like her mom and it used to make her happy now it just made her feel guilty, she couldn't hurt him anymore by reminding him of what he lost, not today.

He pats her shoulder softly, "let's go" he mumbles as he leads her down the stairs. Mimi pauses when she reaches the bottom looking for her purse, she remembers leaving it on the side table. Tears start pooling in her eyes as she spots their family photo. She wonders how she'll be able to make it through today if she can't even get out of her house without crying.

Wondering why she stopped he follows her gaze and sees why she is rubbing her eyes, trying to rid herself of her tears. "Come on honey," he ushers her out the door and into the car. In the car she grabs some tissue and wipes her eyes, she needs to calm down, for her father's sake. The drive to the church is silent; she looks out the window at the passing scenery wondering how long until she can just go back to her room and start her drawing again. Her father glances at her occasionally, wishing she would talk to him. He doesn't want her to bottle up her feelings, in order to heal she needs to talk about this.

When they finally arrive at their destination she slowly opens the door and takes in the massive church before her. Her mother wasn't a conventional churchgoer, she would go to many different churches because she liked to hear the different views but this was the church she frequented the most. Her mom admired the beautiful architecture and thought the stain glass windows were astonishing. Mimi sometimes went on her church escapades and knew her mom loved this one the best.

The memorial was nothing but a blur to Mimi. She just couldn't seem to focus on what was being said. Her eyes were glued to the white casket in the front of the church, and to the picture of her mother hanging next to it with the words 'In loving memory ~ Satoe Tachikawa' engraved on the frame. She wishes more than anything that she could go back in time, before they found out her mother had cancer and just stay there, frozen. She was knocked out of her haze when she felt her father gently tap her forearm. She looks around noticing the priest's eyes on her and she realizes it is her turn to speak.

Her father stands up and offers his hand to her, she gently places her hand in his and they both walk up to the alter. When the reach it, Keisuke pulls his daughter in for a hug and then walks back down to his seat. Mimi looks around at all the people here to grieve for her mother, some she knew and some she didn't. They were all staring back at her with faces full of sympathy. She looks back to her mother's picture trying to suppress the inevitable tears as she remembers the day it was taken.

_Mimi was having such a nice dream. She was in the digiworld, primary village, to be specific, with Palmon. They decided to give Elecmon a break and watch over the new digimon. Mimi was so happy to see Palmon again, even if it was just in a dream. She hadn't seen her in a long time. But her dream started fading away when she felt someone shaking her shoulder. She cracked her left eye open and saw her mom and dad leaning over her. Her mom was holding a cupcake with an unlighted candle sticking out of it. Mimi grinned as she heard the familiar background music start playing and her parents getting ready to sing. _

"_You say it's your birthday_

_It's my birthday too, yeah_

_They say it's your birthday_

_We're gonna have a good time_

_I'm glad it's your birthday_

_Happy birthday to you…"_

_Mimi was cracking up by the time they finished the song. It was tradition on her birthdays, ever since she could remember, for her parents to wake her up singing Birthday by The Beatles._

_Keisuke took the cupcake from his wife's hand and lit it with a lighter before placing it in front of Mimi. "Make a wish sweetie," her mom said excitedly._

_Mimi closed her eyes thinking hard about what she wanted to wish for. Once she decided she opened her eyes and blew out the candle. When she opened her eyes her father had his arms outstretched with a wrapped box in his hands, "Time for presents." Taking the box she eagerly ripped off the wrapping paper. She pulled off the lid and gasped when she saw three tickets to Fiji inside. "We already have our tickets, the extra two are for Brooke and Abby. We already called their parents and asked and they said they can go, now you just have to call and tell them." _

_"Really? Thank you so much!" _

_"We called to see if Sora could go but her mother said she already had plans." Mimi was disappointed that Sora couldn't go, she really missed her. But she didn't want to dampen her parents cheerful mood so she quickly put a smile on her face. _

_"Oh, well its ok. I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun with Brooke and Abby too" _

_Satoe pulled a box from behind her back and placed it in Mimi's hands, "This coordinates with the trip." Mimi had no idea what it could be so she tore the side of the paper and slid the box out. Squealing, she jumped into her mother's arms and hugged her tightly, "Thank you momma." _

_"You're welcome baby," when her mom let go she jumped into her father's arms and hugged him just as tight._

_"Thank you Daddy. You guys are the best parents ever!" _

_"Mimi you should call your friends and tell them the good news"_

_"Ok," she gave her mom one last hug before she grabbed her cell phone from her nightstand to call them. _

_"You will not believe what my parents got me for my birthday! They bought me a brand new camera so when me, you and Brooke go to Fiji we can take pictures of everything" Satoe and Keisuke smiled at their daughter's enthusiasm before they left the room so Mimi could give her friends all the details on the trip. _

_"No I haven't told Brooke yet, I was going to call her right now" was the last they heard before they closed the door behind them. Once Mimi was done telling them the good news she decided to test her new camera by taking random pictures. She got one of her cat Mo-Mo swatting at a fly, and one of her dad 'attempting' to cook but failing miserably seeing as there was splatters of food all over the counters and walls. Next Mimi went in search of her mother. She looked all around the house but couldn't find her, and then she remembered her mom had just bought some flowers to plant in her garden. _

_Mimi pulled on her rain boots and silently walked outside so as not to alert her mother that she was coming. She saw her mom digging a hole getting ready to plant a sweat pea. They were Satoe's favorite flower because they meant blissful and that was how she wanted her family to feel all the time, to be thankful for all that they have. Mimi wanted it to be a candid photo but her mother was always one step ahead of her. Before she could take it her mother looked up and smiled brightly at the camera as if Mimi had called her name. _

It was her favorite picture of her mother. Mimi smiles slightly at the memory, finally ready to give her speech.

"My mother was the best mom anyone could ever have," her voice breaks slightly but she continues, "Whenever I was having a bad day she would do everything in her power to make me feel better. Whether that meant taking me shopping, making my favorite cookies, or just holding me while I cried. She would stick up for me, even when I was wrong. One of her favorite sayings was, 'A smile takes but a moment, but the memory of it lasts forever' and it always rang true. My mom had an ever-present smile on her face and that's how I'll always remember her. Even during her treatments, when I knew she was in pain, she found the strength to smile for my benefit and forever I'll admire her for that. She could find the good in anybody and help anyone who asked, even if she had only just met them. My mom was truly amazing and I'd give anything to have her back in my life." All the tears she held back finally break free leaving tears streaming down her face. She takes a tissue from her purse, wiping her eyes as she walks back to her seat. When she passes her mother's coffin she brushes her hand against its shiny exterior, "I love you, momma," and with that she heads back her seat.

The following week Mimi spends all her time in her room only leaving to go to school. She doesn't feel like doing anything anymore so she quits all her extracurricular activities: dance, cheerleading, and yearbook. Her friends try to talk to her but she just ignores them hoping that they will just leave her alone and let her grieve in peace. Keisuke can't stand to see her this way. She's been so despondent since the funeral, he doesn't blame her but at the same time he knows something needs to change quick before he loses her completely. This place has to many bad memories of what has happened and in order for them to move on they need to leave. He decides on going back to Japan, there were a lot of happy memories there and maybe Mimi's old friends can heal her and make her want to live again. It's a chance he's willing to take so he buys the tickets.

When Mimi gets home from school she takes off her shoes and makes her way up the stairs to her room. She is surprised to see that there are boxes all over the floor some labels read Mimi's Room. Wondering what is going on she heads to her father's study where his light is shining from under the door. She knocks on the door and starts to go inside when she hears he father's muffled "Come in."

"Dad, what's with all the boxes?" she asks, curiosity lacing her question.

"We're moving" he grunts as he lifts a particularly heavy box onto his desk.

"We can't!"

"We can, and we are. So can you please start packing," Keisuke says rubbing his eyes tiredly. He knows he shouldn't be so harsh with her but with his decision to move and then having to see how he was going to continue running his company, it had been a stressful day. He doesn't want to fight her but she can be so stubborn sometimes, just like her mother.

"No, we can't leave momma. I won't leave her." Mimi wants to cry but she can't she has to stand her ground. She doesn't understand why her father thinks it's a good idea to leave.

"Mimi you're mom isn't with us anymore. And I'm afraid that it'll be hard for you to move on if we stay here." He pushes up his glasses, something he does when he is in a frustrating situation.

"And where do you propose we go huh? Leaving won't make me forget what happened; in fact it'll be even worse. At least this way I can still visit her grave and feel somewhat close to her." Mimi feels bad that she is speaking to her father in such a tone. She knows her mother would be disappointed.

"We're going back to Japan; I never sold our old house so we can stay there. Think of all the great times we had there with your mom. Don't you think you'd rather be surrounded by happy memories than ones of her death?" he asks pleadingly hoping she'll see he's trying to do what's best for her.

"You can't make me go. I won't let you!" she screams at him pitifully knowing she can't win. She's still a minor and until she's of age she has to do what he says.

"This isn't up for discussion Mimi. We are leaving and that's final. This is for the best and you'll realize that once we get there." Mimi angrily turns on her heel and stomps out of the office slamming the door behind her.

Keisuke shudders as the door slams, his heart filling with despair. He hopes she won't be mad at him forever. Looking out the window he gazes at the clouds wondering if his wife is up there watching this all unfold. "Why did you leave me Satoe? How am I supposed to raise her on my own?" he shouts to the sky, wishing she would answer him back. Slumping in defeat he looks back up to the clouds, "I need you." Hearing her father plea to her mother makes Mimi burst into tears. With her back against the wall she slides down letting the tears consume her, not bothering to try to control them. She needs this, it reminds her that she's still alive.

**AN: I looked up many different sites for a timeline on Mimi so I'm using that she was 10yrs old when she moved to New York. The quote used in the beginning is from the song Never Gone by The Backstreet Boys. I forgot to mention but I also don't own the song Birthday by The Beatles. Happy Birthday Julie! All reviews are appreciated :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or its characters. I do however own the plot.

Chapter 2

Mimi attempted to smile at the secretary but decided it wasn't worth it. She just wanted to go home. She shoved the papers in her bag, the ones saying her transcripts have been sent to her new school and she should be ready to start once they get settled. Like that's going to happen she scoffed as she pulled her jacket tighter against herself. Japan used to be her home but not anymore so she doubted she would ever get settled there anytime soon. It had been two weeks since her father decided that it would be a good idea to move back and they are almost all packed up. Mimi just had to make sure everything was set up for her to start at her new school.

She frowned as the whispering of her fellow students picked up as she walked toward her locker. Apparently when miss popular turned into a recluse everyone thought it was there business to discuss it. She doesn't understand how people she used to call her friends could be so inconsiderate.

'I get that her mom died and all but seriously don't you think she's acting a little dramatic? She isn't helping herself by wallowing.'

'I heard her father is sending her to some school for depressed teens.'

It was stupid comments like that that made her almost glad she was leaving. She took a huge breath of air once she made it outside glad to be rid of all the murmurings. Before she could take another step she felt someone tapping on her shoulder and turned to see that it was Michael.

"Mimi I'm so glad I caught you before you left." Mimi smiled at him glad that she saw him too. He had been there for her ever since she found out her mom had cancer. And when her mom made her promise to continue cheerleading he was the one who recorded her at every game so her mom could watch it in her hospital room. He continued to stick by her even when she tried to push him away. "I just wanted to give you this." He handed her a cd and pulled her into a quick hug. "If you ever need anything don't hesitate to call or email."

"Thanks Michael," she whispered as she slowly pulled away. She slipped the cd into her bag and turned back to her car, feeling Michael's eyes watching her. Glancing in her rearview mirror she saw Michael still standing there waving at her. She watched him until he became just a speck.

"That's great, thanks Tom," Keisuke replied before shutting his phone. He finally had everything arranged with how he was going to continue overseeing his company from Japan. Over the course of many days he was able to convince the board that he could continue working through video conferences and emails. And once a month he'd fly back here for a few days to make sure everything was on track. His CEO, Tom would be sure to inform him of everything going on. Everything seemed to be falling into place nicely, except for the fact that Mimi was still not entirely happy about leaving.

He looked around at the now empty house, it had taken a while but they were finally finished packing and they were going to leave today at 11:00am. Keisuke had sent their stuff earlier in the week so it would all be there when they arrived. He grabbed his suitcase and brought it out to the car just in time to see Mimi pulling up into the driveway.

"I finished loading up the car. Are you almost ready to go?"

"Yeah, I have the papers here. So…when are we going to leave for the airport?"

"I was thinking we could go eat and by the time we finish it should be close to when we need to leave"

"Ok, I'm just going to make sure I grabbed everything." Mimi made her way inside pausing to take it all in. She was going to miss this house, even though not all the memories here were good. She went up the stairs and into her bedroom. Her dad didn't know it but the window seat had a hidden compartment that she had found when they first moved here.

Inside held all her treasures she had collected over the years. She pulled out the box smiling as she remembered all the things she had put in it. There was a ticket stub from her first date, a photo of the digidestined, the first roll of film from when she started yearbook, and just a whole bunch of other things that meant so much to her. The newest item to the collection was her mother's amethyst ring. She didn't feel right wearing it so she put it in the box the day her father gave it to her.

"Mimi, you ready?" Keisuke called from downstairs.

"Yeah, I'm coming" she closed the lid and stood up. Mimi paused when she reached the door. Her fingers touched it's side where her mother had measured her height over the years.

The last line was marked age 15, Mimi traced over her mother's handwriting noting that she had grown a half inch last year. They didn't have a chance to do it this year, because her mom was in the hospital. She turned around grabbing a pencil from her bag ready to record her new height; it wouldn't feel right if she left before recording it. Mimi quickly drew a line over her head. Then scribbled age 16 and smiled triumphantly when she saw she had grown another half inch.

She closed the door softly, glad that she would always be a part of this house. Downstairs she saw her dad already waiting for her.

"You ready?"

"Yeah"

"What's that? I was sure I grabbed everything from your room?"

"It's nothing," and before he could question her further she slipped it into her bag. Once in the garage Mimi went to sit in the car while her dad called to check when they were going to pick up Mimi's car. It was supposed to be sent along with everything else earlier but Mimi needed to run some last minute errands so it was going to be sent later on today after they left.

Unlike her father Mimi wasn't able to sleep in front of others, especially on a plane. Something about it just freaked her out. Besides sometimes she was prone to talk in her sleep and that wasn't something she wanted broadcasted. She grabbed her laptop deciding to just surf the web until she remembered Michael's cd.

Mimi took it from her purse and popped it in the computer. It surprised her that it was actually a video instead of a cd. It didn't take long for it to load and when it finished a picture of Mimi and her mom filled the screen. Curiosity got the better of her and she pushed play wondering exactly what the video contained.

She smiled as a picture of her mom holding her as a newborn came up and the song The Best Day by Taylor Swift started playing in the background. When the song first came out it reminded Mimi of her relationship with her mom and from then on it became their song. The next picture was one of her mom holding her in front of her first birthday cake. Mimi had cake all over her face and Satoe was smiling widely at her.

Mimi started tearing up as more pictures keep coming onto the screen, some when they were on vacation, on birthdays, and just random pictures. She laughed when the 'little brother' part of the song came on because Michael put pictures of her and T.K. She had always thought of him as the little brother she never had. Even when she gradually lost contact with the other digidestined, she and T.K. remained close. As the song came to an end recent pictures of her and her mom appeared, most of them taken in the hospital. The last picture was of her mom holding her as they slept on the hospital bed. Mimi smiled sadly lost in the memories of her and her mom. Her thoughts got interrupted though when she heard her mom's voice.

"Hi sweetie, it's me, mom. I just wanted to leave you with a little something to remember me by. If you ever feel sad just watch this video and remember all the good times we've shared. I just want you to know how proud I am of the beautiful young woman you've become. You're no longer the little girl who used to dress up as a princess every chance you got. You have made my life so wonderful, I wouldn't change a thing. Please don't be sad, there's no reason for you to be. I'll always be with you.

I'll be there when you graduate from high school, when you find your soul mate and when you graduate from college. On your wedding day I'll be right by your side as you walk down the aisle. And I'll be there when you have your babies. This isn't goodbye honey, I'll forever watch over you.

Take care of you father Mimi. Always treat him kindly and with respect because he only wants to do what's best for you. I love you so much Mimi, don't ever forget that."

With that the screen faded to black indicating the video was over. Mimi ejected the disc and put it back in its case so it wouldn't get messed up. She opened up her email and sent Michael a message thanking him for the video. She really did love it; it was the best thing anyone could have given her. She relaxed in the seat, thoughts of her mother filled her head and before she could lose her inspiration she grabbed some paper and set to work on trying to draw her mother's portrait.


End file.
